As the city is once again blowing up with all manner of respiratory infections, it’s time to think about prevention and early treatment that you can be proactive with on your own. We all know most of this stuff, but everyone can use a gentle reminder when pathogens are peaking.
There are the obvious measures that need to be in place:
✅Getting enough quality sleep (7-9 hours) so that you wake feeling reasonably rested
✅Making sure your Vitamin D levels are optimal (and supplementing if they’re not)
✅Eating a solid whole foods diet (meaning everything on your plate took a minimum of preparatory steps to get there)
✅Eating or supplementing with probiotics to support your crucial gut microbiome (a foundation of your immune system). Sauerkraut, kombucha, kimchi and pickles are good sources.
If you are doing all of this and still feeling run down and vulnerable, or you have a history of getting sick multiple times through the winter, here are some additional strategies.
There are three traditional Chinese medicine herbal formulas that are the mostly commonly used for low immunity and fighting a pathogen that is trying to take hold.
📌Yu Ping Feng San, or Jade Windscreen - this formula is used to bolster the immune system and acts as a preventative through the cold/cough/flu season. This can be taken daily.
📌Gan Mao Ling - think of this as an herbal “Airborne”. When you start to notice the very early signs of a cold/cough/flu coming on, start taking this for a few days until those signs have faded, then stop.
📌Yin Qiao - this is the formula to take when it really starts hitting you with fever, chills, sweats and phlegm that is all the colors. This is taken for a few days until symptoms subside.
If your symptoms continue for more than a few days, it’s time to move on and see an herbalist.
👉We recommend Grand Meridian clinic at 211 Grand St in Manhattan Chinatown to get individualized formulas made for your specific symptoms.
We carry all three of these formulas in the clinic, so stop by and try them, or gift them to someone you know who is always catching what’s going around.🎁